Maternity Jeans

I must admit maternity clothes have come a long ways since our moms were pregnant with us, so I should be grateful. I finally realized I needed to pick up some maternity jeans last week when even using a rubber band to hold my pants up, they still felt so tight I started feeling faint and ended up sick in the bathroom. I tried on the pair of maternity jeans I had picked up during my previous pregnancy and could not have felt more disgusted. They made my butt and hips look incredibly wide and droopy and were not quite long enough in the inseam (a big pet peeve) no wonder I felt so self conscious during my last pregnancy. That weekend, I took the opportunity to go shopping on my own in search of some kind of maternity jeans that did not make me look like I was wearing high-waters, or a diaper. I'll admit there was a pretty decent selection of maternity jeans that look OK on the shelf. I tried on a few pairs, but quickly grew more and more depressed with my choices. They all had the same problems, they were totally unflattering, all of them were just 1/2 inch or so too short in the inseam, I didn't like the maternity band, or the denim felt more like paper than denim. Finally I decided to try on some of the expensive designer jeans just to compare and see if all maternity jeans had to be this way. Man on man was there a difference! I tried on Citizens, Sevens and Joes and they all looked so cute...and did not scream Pregnant pants! They looked just as cute as jeans should look when you aren't pregnant. I was so excited when I could turn around to check out my rear and see that it still looked like it's supposed to. And did I mention they all have like a 34 inch inseam so length is not a problem, if you need them shortened then having them hemmed to perfection is no big deal. So, after browsing the tops and seeing what a rip off they all were, I decided I would splurge on a nice pair of jeans for my pregnancy. I'm a jeans girl so this felt like a definite must have item. And based on the current fashion, you can get the rest of your tops a stores like forever 21 for cheap since most of the tops there are long and flowy and meant to go with leggings...they make perfect tops for a pregnant woman.

I decided to go with the Joe's Jeans, they looked the best and were on sale. I am loving them and I really enjoy the new secret belly fit, it is so comfortable and does not create seams or lines like my old maternity jeans did. My piece of advice after going through this is to just find the pair of jeans you like the best, try them on a figure out what size you need, then try buying them on ebay if you aren't in a rush, you could save yourself a lot of money or get them on sale through Amazon. I've posted a link below to the same pair I just purchased.

Campaign for Safe Cosmetics

What's going on? That is the question poised on the safe cosmetics website, which includes EWG's Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database. You would assume your body lotion or your baby's shampoo would be safe right? Well, now you can find out just how safe many of the cosmetic products you have in your home really are. Go into the Skin Deep: Cosmetic Safety Database and look up some of the products you regularly use in your household.

I randomly searched Jergen's Moisturizing Body wash, which came up with a hazard score of 8 (out of 10) and informs you that ingredients in the product are related to cancer, developmental/reproductive toxicity, allergies and immunotoxicity, Other concerns for ingredients used in this product:
Neurotoxicity, Endocrine disruption, Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), Miscellaneous, Multiple, additive exposure sources, Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs), Enhanced skin absorption, Contamination concerns, Occupational hazards, Biochemical or cellular level changes

The report goes on with more in depth information. However, this website is not to freak you and out depress you about all the products we have access to being hazardous to our health, you can use this website to find better products. For another website that lists some links to more great natural cosmetics, click HERE.

The Makeup Face Lift

Sherri Hubner, Education Executive with Bobbi Brown Cosmetics and my best friend's mom shares the secrets of the Bobbie Brown 5 step process called "The Makeup Face Lift".

Bobbi's Five Instant Look Lifters

1. Plump
Layer skincare formulas (a wet, hydrating cream under a rich dense balm) to give skin a plumped-up, cushiony look.


*Hydrating Eye Cream
*Intensive Skin Supplement
*Extra Moisturizing Balm
*Extra Soothing Balm (press into skin over foundation to give a glow to dehydrated skin)
*Extra Face Oil

2. Brighten
Lighten the under-eye area and draw your attention up with a pink or peach toned corrective concealer paired with a yellow toned concealer. Be sure to apply concealer close to the lashes and to the inner corner of the eye as well.

*Tinted Eye Brightener can be worn alone, or used before corrector and concealer if extremely dark under the eye (skip eye cream if needed)
*Suggest Tinted Eye Brightener as an option for your day off, going the gym, or to be worn with Tinted Moisture Balm

Foundation Tips:
• Focus on plumpness and illumination of the skin
• Luminous Moisturizing Foundation (Super-moisturizing with anti-aging benefits. Luminous Moisturizing Foundation is formulated with a natural collagen boosting, skin firming blend of Hexapeptides and Milk Thistle Extract. Instantly moisturizes and keeps skin hydrated all day. Softens fine lines and imperfections. Skin looks and feels refreshed, renewed and beautifully luminous. Buildable formula offers medium-to-full coverage. For Normal to Dry Skins).
• Tinted Moisturizing Balm
• Teach your customer to apply foundation like a lotion or cream, and buff it out with the Foundation Brush
• Use your hands to press foundation into skin
• Put effort into covering spots and concerns

Powder Tips:
• Powder only where needed (usually avoiding the cheeks)
• Powder around the mouth (above the lip) for those who sweat

3. Pop
Dust blush high on the apples of your cheeks

*Use multifunctional colors (Pot Rouge can be worn on cheeks and lips)
*Teach your customer to blend Pot Rouge above and below the cheek bone to give a flushed appearance to the skin
*When using Shimmer Brick, apply to the smoothest part of the skin

4. Define
When lining eyes, extend the liner ever so slightly at the outer corner of the eye. Make sure the liner is thick enough and visible when your eyes are open

*Black Gel Eyeliner (no skin should be showing along lash line)
*Use Eye Shadow to line along and slightly above Gel Eyeliner to blend out a harsh line

Eye Shadow Tips
• Highlight the brow bone (Bone, White)
• Brow bone should be the lightest part of the skin
• If doing a crease color, the height of the shadow should be at the arch of the brow bone
• Non shimmer shades are less intimidating to your "mature" customer

Mascara Tips
• Cream mascara (Everything Mascara) dries matte
• Gel Mascara (No Smudge and Lash Glamour) hold curl
• Sell two mascaras by layering a gel over a cream to get lashes that create an impact (use Everything Mascara as a lash primer)

5. Finish
After applying lipstick and pencil, layer a light shade of light reflecting, high shine lip gloss


*Concentrate lip liner on the outer corners of the mouth to give a fuller appearance
*Brightening Lip Gloss is infused with brightening pearls giving lips a luminous, glowing sheen. The effect immediately brightens and lifts your look

"I've learned that it's not about looking young for your age - it's about looking great for your age."
- Bobbi Brown

Inspired by Chapter 3 in "Living Beauty" by Bobbi Brown.

How to dress Like you Have Money

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You know you're a MOM when....

So what can I say? I'm frazzled in general I guess! I've never felt so stupid, seriously! In the last month I've driven my husbands new car over a curb in a parking lot, now the steering makes a funny noise, I left the laptop on the couch where my 2 year old was able to send it flying to it's doom, I washed and dried my husband's work phone...totally fried....he doesn't know how he's going to be able to work tomarrow since all his contacts were on that, and I almost wrecked his work computer tonight (not telling him!) looking up toddler charts when some virus thing popped up and long story short, the computer would not work until God answered my begging and pleading prayer, which ended finally with "I promise I'll volunteer for AWANA if you make the computer go back to normal!" BINGO...magically the computer went back to normal, when Windows wouldn't even start before... I think that's what motherhood will do to you. When you have kids...if you ever can't find the milk in the fridge, it's probably in the cupboard, your keys are probably still in the front door, your missing purse is on your arm and you have forgotten to put on shoes when you left the house at least once...oh and when your husband comes home and tries to kiss you, suddenly you remember that you forgot to brush your teeth that day! lol....well, at least I managed to shave my legs and throw on some mascara before church today.

(I don't even really know what AWANA is...I just saw a thing about volunteers in the bulletin at a church we visited today.....but, I guess I'm doing it! Considering that I couldn't get windows to work, or get much more than error messages in dos for 10 minutes, it all ended and worked instantly when the word's 'I promis to volunteer for AWANA' left my lips. hmmmm.....)

eHow, My Daughter and I on the Dallas Evening News